Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends. ~Ninny Threadgoode

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

A creamy baked macaroni and cheese that uses a combination of cheddar and Velveeta and a buttery roux.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Okay, you probably wouldn't want to eat this every day, but what I mean by that is that this is my 'regular' mac and cheese recipe, as opposed to my special occasion mac and cheese, which is excellent, but very rich, loaded with eggs, butter with cheese. I finally got around to makin' this one, and it, on the other hand, is a little, well, more reasonable, and what you could serve any day of the week.

I don't like the gloppy, stringy texture of cheddar in macaroni and cheese on it's own, but I love the flavor of it. But combine that cheddar with a bit of Velveeta - yeah, that's right, Velveeta, the southern staple - and put that into a white sauce, and it makes a fantastic cheese base for the macaroni that is just right and cheesy. No need for additional salt generally, but be sure to take a taste before it goes into the oven and adjust as needed.

I know the kids love the 'box' and I don't deny having made more than a few of those myself in my lifetime - I even have a casserole using boxed mac and cheese here that is very yummy - but every once in awhile put away the 'box' and give this a try. It comes together pretty quick, and is creamy, homey, comforting, and just downright cheesy wonderful goodness, I'm tellin' ya!

A Facebook reader suggested adding a topping of crushed saltines before baking, then top with slices of butter in the last few minutes. I think that sounds fantastic, so thanks for that suggestion!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray; set aside. Cook the elbow macaroni in very generously salted boiling water according to lowest recommended time on package directions. Drain, rinse with hot water & set aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion and saute until soft. Stir in the flour and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes to cook it through; slowly add in the milk, stirring constantly until fully incorporated. Season with the pepper and Cajun seasoning; add the Velveeta. Stir over a medium low heat until blended. Add the shredded cheddar and stir until well blended. Add the macaroni to the saucepan and stir.

Pour into the prepared casserole and if desired, sprinkle with crushed saltines. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, adding the slices of butter scattered over the top of the saltines (if using) the last 15 minutes of baking. Remove and let set for 5 minutes before serving.

Variation: Can also be finished on the stovetop. After adding the macaroni to the sauce, cook and stir over medium low heat for about 5 minutes, adding the additional milk as needed, until it reaches the desired consistency.

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Mary- I have a confession to make- I am addicted to velveeta! I know it's not a real cheese product, but you are right...mixed with other cheeses, its creaminess needs the perfect texture! This looks heavenly. I could eat it everyday!

This looks so much better than the boxed version! And Velveeta, well it's just like that song from the old commercial "Cheddar's lumpy. Cheddar's oily. I runs off of the plate onto your doily. When the cookbook calls for cheddar...make it with Velveeta... it melts better."

We keep Velveeta on hand here at all times.

I have a special occasion mac n cheese too. It's almost like a mac n cheese custard. My grandma makes it for every family dinner. Love it.

I may have to make this everyday mac n cheese soon. Maybe as a side for our burgers this weekend. It's calling to me. Thanks, Mary!

Mary, I just have to say your Mac and Cheese recipes have become my go-to recipe. My family loves them and when they see "Mac and Cheese" on the menu for the week, you would think we were eating cake for dinner! Thanks for sharing such great recipes!

looks so good what am I gonna do since we are not Velveeta people at all? I can't make a good mac and cheese it's never creamy it's dry with cheese on the top, rofl. I can't do Velveeta any substitution ideas on this one?

Hey Tracey! Yeah, that's exactly why I use Velveeta in my macs - it gives the added creaminess that is otherwise lacking. You'll need a substitute that is still a "processed cheese" - can you do American cheese?

Thank you! Made this today...it was soooo good! Added Smoked Gouda, cause it was in the fridge, and oh my! I've been trying to find a recipe like this forever! Thank you again!!! I'll never make stringy mac n cheese again! LOL

Thanks Valerie! I'm so glad you enjoyed it & I know that addition of smoked gouda was fantastic. You know... I've been trying to recreate a recipe for a "stringy" mac and cheese just because there are so many folks who like it that way. I have lost track of how many I have made and not one has been what I'd deem acceptable. I guess I'll keep trying, but clearly I am a creamy mac and cheese kinda gal!!

Hey Heather! You know, I have played around with some variations, I haven't found that one mac & cheese I've fallen in love with for the crockpot yet. I haven't given up so I'm sure I'll play around with it some more!

My 16 year old daughter has been begging for some homemade mac'n'cheese. She came home with a friend today so we made your Everyday recipe. It was absolutely delicious! It's very rich! We served with seamed broccoli. I had to make a couple changes. I used medium size shells and half extra sharp cheddar and half Monterey Jack. For the cracker topping I used Cheez Its White Cheddar chrackers. The topping was so yummy that next time I'll use a 9" by 13" baking dish so we'll have more topping. My daughter's friend loved it - this was her first time having homemade and we all had fun making it then devouring. Thanks for the recipe!

Lots of people do make mac and cheese ahead but I'm not too big of a fan. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce in the resting and seems to take away some of the creaminess. It's just not quite the same to me. although just a few hours may not make that much difference.

What I always do when I want to make it ahead is to prep everything ahead - cook the noodles, make the sauce - but store it separately, so all I have to do is warm the sauce and put it together right before baking. That's my preference!

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